The year is 1956. During a visit to the cinema in West Berlin, high school pupils Theo and Kurt see dramatic newsreel footage of the Hungarian uprising in Budapest. Returning East to their homes in Stalinstadt, they spontaneously decide to hold a minute’s silence at school in support of the victims of the uprising, and encourage their classmates to join them. But the gesture has a much bigger impact than they could have expected: while their head teacher initially tries to put the whole thing down to youthful playfulness, the pupils become objects of the political machinations of the fledgling East German state. The People’s Education Minister condemns the action as a clearly counter-revolutionary act and demands that the ringleader be named within a week. Sticking together, the students face a choice that will change all their lives forever…

Based on real events, this is a slow burn thriller that challenges the audience to consider what they might have done in the situation. At what point is it important to stand up and tell the truth, regardless of the consequences?

Our Young Ambassadors said: “Tense … felt very realistic … strong believable characters … a fantastic ensemble cast … raw and truthful … didn’t sugarcoat anything … interesting themes of political ideals, makes me think about what is the best political system? … even when taken out of the historical context, it is still relatable … really provoked emotion … relevant even now (when) people are frustrated, especially the youth, with our society”